Crisis of Identity
by Surreptitious Chi X
Summary: A short scene in Aurora Village after Dust, Fidget, and Ahrah save Mudpot. More than ever, Dust wants to know who he is. Ahrah doesn't think he is ready. Fidget wants cupcakes.


Dust walked through Aurora Village, anxiously checking its defenses. It wasn't that he didn't trust the town guards, but, well...he didn't. And in a surprisingly short amount of time, he'd grown attached to this place. He didn't want to see it taken away from him like Denham.

Fuse's words suddenly mingled with the Lady's, and he stopped in his tracks.

Fidget immediately reacted. "What is it? What's wrong?"

He looked away. "Fuse...the Lady...they both called me a killer."

"So what?" Fidget demanded. "You're not going to take their word over the word of your friends, are you?"

Dust looked at her blankly.

"Us. We're your friends."

He bowed his head. "I know. And I appreciate all you've done for me. But..."

"But what?" Fidget asked in a tiny voice.

Dust looked at his hands. The hands that had so easily cut down hundreds of monsters, had slain the insane and tortured Fuse, had driven madness from the Lady. "But who am I? Who am I really?"

Fidget squeaked indignantly, "You're Dust! How many times are we going to have to repeat ourselves before it sinks in? Don't worry about the past. Ahrah, you're with me, right?"

But as always on this subject, Ahrah hesitated.

"It's not that simple," Dust said. He turned away from her. "You know who you are. You don't have to wonder every day why you do what you do, how you know to do it, what makes you who you are. You don't wonder what your name is, who your family is, where your homeland is."

"You will know in time," Ahrah said finally.

"Don't think I haven't figured out that you could tell me in a heartbeat if you wanted to," Dust said.

"That would be unwise," Ahrah said.

"Why?" Dust pressed.

Ahrah fell silent again.

"You're still testing me. Everything is a test!"

"Calm down!" Fidget protested. "We're not the badguys. We're here to help you."

Dust sighed and sat down in the shade of the nearest tree. "I – I know. I'm sorry. I just get tired of not knowing – not remembering – not being me." He drew his knees up to his chest and folded his arms around them. "There's something not right inside of me, and I can feel it every day."

Fidget hovered over him anxiously. "Something not right? Like a stomach ache?"

Dust mustered a smile at that. "No, Fidget. Not like a stomach ache. I don't know how to describe it."

"Try," Fidget said.

Dust sighed. "It feels like...like I'm constantly at odds with myself."

"That is only natural under the circumstances," Ahrah said soothingly. "Gather yourself and resist the confusion. Rest if necessary. Tasks of great importance still lie ahead, and you will need all your strength for them."

Fidget's ears drooped. "I hate it when you talk like that. You mean we're going to do something dangerous."

"I'm afraid so, Fidget," Ahrah said.

Dust realized with a pang that he didn't want to let Ahrah down. "Just – Just give me a minute. I'll be fine."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Ahrah said. "Nothing good will come of you walking into danger unprepared."

Dust smiled at them with wry humor. "Don't worry. If I do push myself too hard, we still have Reed's revival stone."

"That's no way to talk," Fidget scolded.

Dust didn't know why, but he found himself chuckling at her. Everything would be alright, wouldn't it? He would fulfill his purpose. Somehow. When he remembered what that was. "I'm not intimidated by what lies ahead. Fidget. I don't think I can die. Not until my purpose has been fulfilled."

"Well, I certainly hope you're not planning on dying afterwards, either," Fidget said. "You have to stick around to celebrate. We'll all have cupcakes! Just for fun, I mean, and not because you got injured doing something heroic."

"Why don't you have cupcakes, and I'll just be satisfied with a job well done?" Dust suggested.

"No argument here," Fidget said. "That means I get more cupcakes."

"Yes, Fidget. You'll have my share and your share."

"I'm holding you to that."

Dust laughed. "I promise."


End file.
